Iridescent Lives
by The Lady Arturia
Summary: (Sequel to Iridescent Lies) It's been 8 years since Harry, who suffered nightmares of the war, met Mind Healer Draco. Not only did his PTSD get better since then, but Harry and Draco inevitably ended up together. They have since managed to live their lives together and with their respective families successfully. Follow their journey as their relationship evolves and blossoms.
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

**A/n: A very happy new year to all my lovely readers! If you're new, before you begin this, please note that this is a sequel to Iridescent Lies. You can read this without reading IL, but the prequel story contains all the nitty-gritty details about how Draco and Harry got together and whatnot. So I recommend reading that before you start this.**

 **I know it's been a long while since the epilogue of Iridescent Lies, but here is the promised sequel. This takes place 8 years after the epilogue and I've started it in such a way that since the prequel ended before Christmas, this one starts with it.**

 **Before you start, I hope everyone has a meaningful new year where you overcome your obstacles and grow stronger and wiser from experiencing new things. I hope it's full of joy and love and new learnings. Don't be afraid to try something new or take a risk. Merlin knows you'll regret it more if you don't do it!**

 **Lots of love,**

 **Arty xx**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **New Beginnings**

* * *

 **[24 December 2019]**

 **6:15 PM**

"If you can stay still for one minute—"

"Mum, seriously, quit it!"

"Lily Luna, come back here!"

" _Ugh_ leave me _alone!_ "

Ginny watched her daughter run out of the room with a resigned sigh, the red-and-white striped ribbon she wanted to tie in the eleven-year-old's hair still clutched in her hand. "What am I going to do with her…" she said, shaking her head.

It was Christmas Eve—and not just any old Christmas Eve, either. This year, on Albus' insistence, Ginny had decided to invite Scorpius and his father home for dinner along with the usual line-up—Ron, Hermione, and the kids; Angelina, George, and the kids; Teddy and Andromeda; and, of course, Harry, who didn't actually have a choice in the matter.

Every alternate year, when Christmas wasn't celebrated in the Burrow, her parents spent the holidays at one of their children's houses. This year was Percy's turn. Bill, Fleur, and the kids were spending the holidays with Fleur's family in France, and Charlie… well, he was off frolicking with his dragons as per usual.

This year was also special because it was the first time all of the kids had been out of the house, Lily having finally started her first year at Hogwarts, so it was a particularly bittersweet Christmas full of warm, happy family time with lots of laughs and giggles.

Or so Ginny had hoped it to be, but it seemed her wishful thinking would be nothing more than just another pipedream. But one could always hope for a Christmas miracle, no?

Sighing, she added the final touches to the Pigs in a Blanket, wondering when Hermione would arrive with the chicken and mashed potatoes. As she thought for the hundredth time that day that she should've prepared the entire meal herself instead of letting Hermione and Angelina talk her into making it a pot-luck sort of a thing, Lily raced back into the room.

"Mum, when's Daddy coming? He won't be late again, will he? Is he bringing our presents? Should I send an owl just in case?"

"Here, set these plates on the table," Ginny said, handing her daughter the dinner plates. "Careful!" she called as Lily obediently followed instructions.

"Well?" Lily asked the moment she had done what she'd been told, bouncing on the spot. "When's Daddy coming?"

Ginny sighed. "He'll be here as soon as he's done with work."

Lily pouted. "Why does he have to work on Christmas? We should file a complaint! The Ministry has no right to keep him from his family on such an important day!"

Looking up from shining a fork, Ginny frowned. "Have you been talking to Scorpius about useless conspiracy theories again?" The girl ducked her head, avoiding eye contact as she pretended to be busy arranging the cutlery. "I really should have a talk with his father—"

"No!" Lily exclaimed, eyes wide and expression aghast. Then, with a sheepish expression, she said, "I _begged_ him to tell me. He runs away every time I even go near him, nowadays, thanks to that Howler you sent Al, yelling at them for putting nonsense into my head."

"Good." Ginny untied her apron and folded it neatly. "Those boys need to learn some self-control. Going around spouting rubbish to gullible kids like you… really, I ought to—" She broke off, seeing the unhappy frown on her daughter's face, and decided that she would lay off on the scolding until after the holidays. With a nod, she asked, "Where're your brothers?"

Lily shrugged. "Al's probably discussing some new potion with Scorp, and Jamie's probably moping around in his room, as usual."

"What am I going to do with the lot of you," Ginny said with a sigh. "Well, as long as he isn't trying to break into your dad's alcohol cabinet or writing sad songs about heartbreak, I suppose it's fine to leave him be."

Lily crinkled her nose as she set the table. "I don't even get why he's being such a cry-baby over some stupid _girl."_

Ginny hid a smile as she thought back to herself as a fifteen-year-old and her own problems with boys and dating. Lily was too young to appreciate her brother's very recent breakup after his very first relationship, and Ginny wouldn't change that for anything. Her babies were growing up too fast as it were. As long as Lily didn't tease James too much while he was wallowing in self-pity, Ginny would leave them be.

The sound of the Floo caused both of them to look towards the doorway, and with a delighted gasp, Lily ran out of the living room, calling to her cousins. Hugo and Lily's excited voices reached Ginny's ears a moment later, followed by Hermione telling them not to run down the stairs.

"Here, take the— _Hugo_! Goodness, they're such a handful when they're together," Hermione said as she walked into the living room. Smiling, she hugged Ginny tight, humming in contentment. "It's _so_ good to see you. It's been far too long."

"It really has," Ginny said as they pulled apart, grinning as her brother entered with several food items floating in behind him. Ginny waited until the chicken and casseroles were safely placed on the counter before pulling Ron into a hug. He picked her off the ground with a laugh, squeezing her tight.

Pecking her on the head, he proceeded to take his and his wife's coats to the rack. Ginny sighed in satisfaction. Ron and Hermione had had a busy year, and with Ginny's crazy work schedule as a Quidditch Correspondent, they hardly saw each other. As they got older, she really grew to appreciate her brothers' company and wished she had spent the times they had been together as youngsters better.

"Harry not in yet?" Ron asked, flopping down on the sofa.

"He's busy tying up loose ends so that he doesn't have to go back until next year," Hermione supplied as she bustled around the kitchen, making tea. When Ginny tried to help, she waved her off with a, "Go talk to Ron. He's been going on and on about how much he misses his baby sister."

Ginny settled down beside Ron, pulling her feet up and massaging her heel. She'd been standing around all day preparing for the evening and hadn't had time to sit down for a moment's rest.

"So, how're things between you both?" Ron asked, somewhat warily.

Ginny smiled and patted him on the arm. "We're _fine,_ Ron. You don't have to keep asking every time."

He nodded, muttering something to himself. "'Spose you're right. It _has_ been eight years since the divorce, after all."

"It has. And, really, I love how our relationship is, right now. With the kids in school for most of the year, we get to finally focus on our careers, and when we do meet during the holidays, it's a happy family time."

"You don't still… you know." Ron waved his hand, but Ginny understood the ambiguous question.

"Of course I still care for him—as he does for me—but we haven't been in love with each other for a _very_ long time, Ron. You know that. So stop asking," she said, elbowing him gently. "Anyway, congrats on the new Wheezes branch finally opening! Busy times, huh?"

"Yeah, super busy. Teddy's a real lifesaver, I'll tell you. Dunno what I'd do if he weren't around to manage things."

"But he's quitting soon, once he gets into the Auror program, yeah?"

Ron nodded, grimacing. "I can't even say it's a waste because it's the perfect job for him. A Metamorphmagus as an undercover agent? Come on. He was born for the role. They can't possibly not take him."

Ginny laughed. "Harry says the exact same thing."

"With Harry backing him, I don't see any chance of him failing. Even otherwise, he's a brilliant one, he is."

"He doesn't even speak about his own children that fondly," Hermione said as she came over with the tea.

Ron scoffed. "And you tell me I spoil them too much."

Hermione swatted his arm good-naturedly, and Ginny felt a slight pang in her chest at seeing them together, but she shook it away. She _liked_ being single. The past few years had given her the chance to focus on herself and her passions and aspirations and career. She had the opportunity to introspect and reflect on how she had lived her life and make necessary changes. She was able to focus on her children wholeheartedly, without feeling guilty or like a bad parent. And her relationship with Harry had never been as pleasant, friendly and genuine as it had been after their divorce.

She had also found a great friend in Astoria and adored Scorpius and his siblings. Hermione and Draco had become good friends as well, as they shared several similar interests in music, literature, and a general passion towards pursuing knowledge and learning, due to which Ginny had finally gotten over her resentment and bitterness towards him. He was a great father, a great source of emotional support for Harry, and had helped many, many people as a Mind Healer. Whatever he had been back in their school days, he had more than made up for it as the wonderful adult that he now was, and they had all been through enough to know better than to hold onto age-old grudges.

They had all moved on and were happy, and that was all that mattered.

The sound of the Floo signalled the arrival of George, Angelina, and the kids, and soon the house was filled with laughter and the children's excited shouts and general Christmas cheer.

"I'm so glad the Kapoors are the ones that moved in here," Hermione told Ginny as they watched Hugo and Lily try to figure out Roxanne's new Muggle magic tricks. "It's so nice of them to always be open to letting us spend Christmas here when they go back to India for the holidays."

"It doesn't feel like Christmas if it's not in this house, you know?" Ginny said fondly, looking around at what used to be the 'Potters'' residence. "Despite everything that happened, I can only remember all the good memories of our time here."

They shared a smile, and a moment later, a burst of excited shouts caused everyone to look towards the door. Teddy entered, followed by Albus, Scorpius and Fred, the trio badgering him with questions as he laughed and answered them all patiently.

"Andromeda," Ginny said, engulfing the older witch in a gentle hug. "It's been too long."

"It has, it has," she said, her eyes crinkling as she took Hermione and Ginny's hands and squeezed them. "You all look well. I'm glad."

As Hermione ushered Andromeda towards the sofas, where everyone else rose to greet her with as much solemnity and respect as the queen of England would deign worthy, Ginny pulled Albus aside.

"Sweetie, does Scorpius happen to know when his dad will be here?" Although she didn't want to admit it, she was slightly on-edge about Draco's arrival. They had met on Christmas before, but Draco always made it a point to politely decline any invitation to spend Christmas Eve with them. Neither Harry nor Ginny pushed him into joining their family gathering, but she could always sense Harry's disappointment that he couldn't be with Draco on the eve of Christmas. So this year, when Albus had been adamant about bringing Scorpius, Ginny had taken the opportunity to invite Draco yet again.

He had conceded, probably thanks to more than a little persuasion from Harry, but nevertheless, now that he was finally coming, Ginny couldn't help but be a little nervous.

"I think Draco and Dad are coming together?" Albus said, looking towards his best friend. "I think that's what Scorp told Rose."

Ginny followed her son's gaze and watched as Rose laughed at something Scorpius was saying. The blond looked on with shining eyes as Rose slapped his arm in delight. Ginny caught Ron's gaze, realising he was also watching his daughter's interactions with Scorpius, and wondered if she had to have a talk with him about it. Considering how Ron had finally accepted Draco and Harry, though, Ginny didn't think he would be petty towards Scorpius—although it _was_ a possibility, considering how overprotective he was of Rose.

"Mum," Albus said, tugging at her sleeve to draw her attention. "I think I heard the Floo. That's probably them."

Ginny nodded and shot her son a reassuring smile—because he looked as nervous about Draco's arrival as she was—before making her way across the room to greet Harry and Draco.

Lily beat her to it, however, and the moment Harry stepped into the room, hair windswept and still in his Auror robes, presents hovering behind him, Lily launched herself at him with a loud " _Daddy!"_

He laughed and picked her up, twirling her around before hoisting her on his hip like she was still a child. Although Lily hated being treated like the youngest normally, she was perfectly content being her daddy's little princess.

"Hi, princess! Wow, look how pretty you are today!"

Lily giggled and let her father spoil her, and Ginny walked up to them with a fond smile. "Hi, you," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi yourself," he said, hugging her with his free arm. "Sorry I'm late. Work's been hectic. I came as soon as I finished."

"He didn't even come home to change," Draco said, coming up from behind Harry. "I had to bring him a change of clothes." He held Ginny by the arms and they kissed the air on either side of their cheeks.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, and while Harry exchanged pleasantries with the rest, Scorpius came up and gave his dad a big hug.

"You're late," he grumbled childishly, and Draco ruffled his hair fondly.

"Sorry 'bout that. It took me too long to pry Harry from his desk, workaholic that he is."

Hermione came up just then and hugged Draco, and Ginny stepped away, motioning to Albus. "Go call your brother. Is he still refusing to come down?"

Albus pulled a face. "I already did, like a hundred times. I'm not going up there _again!"_

He dodged past her before she could say anything more, and Ginny sighed, deciding that she would go bring James herself. But she didn't have to, because when she turned, her son was standing in the doorway, his hair a mess and his spectacles hanging from the tip of his nose. His clothes were dishevelled, and the bags under his eyes stood in stark contrast to his now-pale skin. He was squinting into the room, none too happy.

Harry noticed him and waved a hand. "Jamie! C'mere and give your old man a hug!"

James' frown only grew deeper in response, and he pointed an accusing finger towards Draco. "Why is _he_ here?"

"James," Ginny said in a warning tone, slapping his hand down and grabbing him by the shoulder, giving him a pointed look. "Behave. We talked about this."

"You said it's a _family gathering_ ," James said, shaking her hand off. "So why's _he_ here?"

"I'm here too." Scorpius had walked up to them, his cheeks flushed with anger. Rose and Albus came up behind him, and the latter was giving his brother a warning look.

"James, don't," Albus said. "Don't ruin everybody else's Christmas just because yours sucks."

James scoffed. He ignored his brother and turned to glare at Harry. "First you come late, and then you bring _him_ along? Seriously?"

The smile had vanished from Harry's face, and Ginny's heart started to race. She had to do something before the entire evening was ruined. Before she could say anything, though, Harry stepped forward, his face expressionless.

"James," he said, his voice low and non-threatening, but intense enough to cause everyone in the room to freeze. "Apologise. Now."

James inhaled and straightened, looking like he wanted to do anything but that, but he knew better than to disobey his father when he got like that. Deflating, he bowed his head and said, "'M sorry," and dashed out of the room.

Ginny exhaled through her teeth, loosening her fists that she hadn't realised she'd been clenching so tight. "I'm so sorry," she said to Draco and Scorpius. "I don't know what's gotten into him. I have no excuse."

"His stupid girlfriend breaking up with him made him lose his mind, that's what," Albus snapped, grabbing Scorpius by the arm and storming out of the room, followed by an alarmed Rose.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in a sure sign of trying to contain his temper. With a sigh, he turned to Ron and said loudly, "How about we play some holiday music, eh?"

Ron hardly needed persuasion, and he turned on the stereo, in an attempt to force out the terrible atmosphere that had settled over the room.

"I'll go talk to him," Ginny said in a soft voice as Harry stepped closer to her. "I'm so sorry about this."

He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You're the hostess, so stay. I'll go."

Ginny nodded and watched him leave the room. Turning back with a big smile, she forced out a laugh and decided not to let what had happened get to her. It was Christmas. And everyone was going to be happy and have a good time if she could help it.

* * *

Harry stood outside James' old room for a few seconds to compose himself. He didn't want to have to yell at his son, but his behaviour was unacceptable. Harry was sympathetic that James was having a hard time, but that didn't warrant what he had said to Draco. Especially after everything Draco had done for James over the years.

Knocking on the door, Harry said, "James, I'm coming in." He waited for a few seconds for the boy to prepare himself before entering. Seeing James sitting at the corner of his bed, his knees pulled to his chest and his head cradled in his arms, deflated Harry's anger.

With a sigh, he came to sit beside his son. "Jamie…" he began, but the fifteen-year-old flinched away when Harry tried to touch him. "James, come on. I'm not here to yell at you. Just talk to me, OK? Please?" When the boy only turned his face away, Harry said, "I'm sorry I was late. I really did try to finish up quickly so I could spend the rest of the holidays with you guys."

James didn't respond, and Harry waited patiently. After some time, the boy mumbled something, and Harry leant closer. "What's that?" He muttered something again, but Harry couldn't make out the words. "Jamie, I can't hear you if you mumble. Look up at me. Come on."

After a long moment, James finally lifted his head, although he still refused to look at Harry. "Alright," Harry said gently. "Now tell me what you said."

"I said I know how hard you work and that you didn't come late on purpose," James said with a sniff. "I'm sorry I lashed out like that. It wasn't right, and you can punish me for the rest of the holidays if you want to because I deserve it."

A part of Harry wondered if his son had created a scene just to be punished, but seeing the dejected look on the boy's face was enough to convince Harry that he was already punishing himself enough.

"I'm not going to punish you," Harry said, and James looked up at him in surprise.

"Why not? I said something horrible to Draco!"

Harry smiled, reaching up to ruffle James' hair. "Do you want to tell me why you did that?"

James pushed Harry's hand away and sniffed, his eyes puffy and tired. "I don't know. I just felt so… angry. And he was the first person I saw, and…" he sighed, placing his head in his arms. "I didn't mean to."

Harry nodded, moving back so he could lean against the wall. They sat in silence for a while, Harry wondering what he should say, and a few moments later the door opened to reveal Draco. The blond offered Harry a small smile as he came to stand in front of James. Harry patted his son on the head, and James looked up at Draco, swallowing thickly.

"Mr Malfoy…"

Draco's smile widened. "I keep telling you to call me Draco."

"Right," James muttered, fiddling with his pillow.

Harry slid off the bed and stood. Squeezing Draco's hand, he looked at James and said, "I'll go talk to your brother. Think you'll be OK?"

James eyed Draco so warily that the latter laughed. "I won't eat you, I promise."

When James finally nodded, Harry shared a glance with Draco before leaving the room. Shutting the door behind him, he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Draco was better than him at handling situations such as these. He was still sometimes at a loss when it came to dealing with his kids, and if not for Draco, he would've continued to flounder around, not knowing what to do.

Walking to Albus' old room, he pushed open the door and smiled at the trio sitting quietly inside.

"Hi, Dad," Albus said, and Scorpius and Rose offered Harry small smiles.

"Hey." Harry walked over to the study table and pulled the chair out. Placing it in front of the bed, facing backwards, he straddled it and said, "Did Draco come in here before I did?" The trio nodded. "Well, I guess there's nothing left for me to say, then."

Albus and Rose looked at Scorpius, and after some hesitation, the blond said, "I'm sorry for getting Al to insist on having me here for Christmas. I just thought it would be nice for Dad and you to spend time together, so…"

Harry smiled, struck, as always, by Scorpius' thoughtfulness. "Thank you. I'm glad you did that. Draco's always refused to come because he anticipated something of this sort would happen, but I'm still glad you both are here. I wouldn't change a thing even if I could."

Scorpius returned Harry's smile and nodded. "Thanks, Mr Potter."

"Harry," he said, rising from the chair. "Just Harry. Don't you think it's been long enough that you can drop the formality with me?" Scorpius nodded, looking sheepish, and Albus laughed, patting his friend on the back. "Well," Harry said, replacing the chair. "I'm heading downstairs. Why don't you lot come down soon as well? Dinner's going to be served, and Ginny won't be too happy if we're not all there to appreciate her hard work."

The kids laughed, and Albus followed Harry to the door. "Thanks, Dad. I think Scorp really needed to hear that."

Harry ruffled his son's hair fondly. "Let your brother off the hook this one time, OK? I think he feels bad enough about what he did without us giving him a hard time about it."

The thirteen-year-old didn't seem too pleased by that but nodded nonetheless. As Harry walked to the stairs, Draco stepped out of James' room.

"Hey," Harry said, pulling him close. "I'm really sorry. He didn't mean what he said."

Draco smiled and kissed Harry, pulling away a moment later and running a hand through Harry's hair to straighten it. "I know. He really liked that girl, huh?"

Harry chuckled. "I've never seen him this distressed about anything before."

"Well, it's understandable. It's only been two days since they broke up, if I'm not wrong. If he'd already pulled himself together, I would be worried."

Harry leant forward to kiss Draco again and whispered, "What would I do without you?"

The corners of Draco's mouth quirked up in his trademark smirk. "Stupid things. _Very_ stupid things."

"Definitely."

"It's a bit early, but," Draco wound his arms around Harry's waist, "Merry Christmas, Harry. I'm glad you talked me into coming tonight, despite everything."

"Merry Christmas, Draco." Harry nuzzled the blond's nose. "I'm glad you came, despite everything."

They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment, until someone coughed from behind them. They turned to see the kids standing outside their respective rooms, looking everywhere but at them.

"Ah, sheesh. Never any privacy anywhere," Harry grumbled good-naturedly.

Draco laughed. "Come on, you lot. I think we've been missing for long enough."

As they trooped down the stairs and into the living room, Ginny looked so relieved that Harry thought she would cry. The table was elongated, chairs were moved to accommodate everyone, and they settled down for dinner, the drama from earlier forgotten and replaced by the usual Christmas cheer.

Later on, past midnight, when most of the others had turned in for the night, Harry was helping Ginny with the dishes and thanked her for a wonderful evening. She sighed, shaking her head and looking exhausted.

"It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but I'm glad things worked out for the best."

"They did. Draco has told me several times that he's glad he came and that you're a fantastic cook."

Ginny laughed. "I'm glad to hear it."

Harry smiled, reaching up to tuck a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Merry Christmas, Ginny."

Her smile lit up her eyes like the festive lights hanging outside. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

* * *

 **A/n: Quite a short first chapter, but I didn't want to overwhelm you from the get-go. As usual, the chapters will keep getting longer as the story progresses.**

 **Also, while Iridescent Lies was all written from Harry's perspective alone, because the kids are older in this, I want to write from their POVs as well. Just as how the first half of this chapter was written from Ginny's POV, it'll be written from multiple characters' POVs so that you know what's going on in everybody's lives when they're not together. Of course, as always, this is a Drarry, so while that is the main focus, it also focuses on various other aspects of the kids', Draco's and others' lives as well.**

 **Again, if you haven't read the first part of this duology, please read it first. It's called Iridescent Lies.**

 **Let me know what you thought of this first chapter! If you have questions, feel free to ask. I will either answer them in person or within the story itself, as it progresses.**

 **And, as always, if there is a Drarry headcanon/concept/idea that you would like to see written, feel free to leave it in a review and I shall write it for you gladly. :)**

 **Lots of love and new year wishes,**

 **Arty xx**


	2. Chapter 2: Christmas

**A/n: I know what I said… and I know it's been** ** _forever_** **since I updated, but moving countries and starting uni has got me swamped. But, at long last, here's chapter 2! If you're still reading this without having read Iridescent Lies, you should head there first as it's the prequel and introduces a lot of the original characters that will appear fairly frequently in this story. Also, please refer to the author's note below, where I've addressed some of the canonical and non-canonical elements mentioned in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Christmas Day**

* * *

Harry turned in his sleep. Feeling the warm body next to him, he pulled closer and nuzzled his face in the crook of the other's neck. Draco shifted, turning towards him and wrapping an arm around him, and Harry sighed in contentment.

It was warm and toasty in bed next to the man he loved, and he couldn't think of a better way to wake up.

"G'morning," Draco whispered groggily when Harry tilted his head up to press a kiss to his chin.

"It's a good morning indeed," Harry whispered back with a broad smile, and the corners of Draco's eyes crinkled as he chuckled and planted a kiss on Harry's mouth.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," Draco said, running his fingers through Harry's hair.

"A very merry Christmas to you too," Harry said as he shifted upwards so they were at eye level. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you decided to stay over."

Draco eyed him for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Are you tearing up, Potter?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Way to ruin a perfectly sweet moment, Malfoy."

"My bad. Let me make up for it." Draco moved closer, and Harry could see the specks of silver in his gunmetal irises. Batting his eyelashes, Draco said, "Every moment with you is sweet."

Harry scrunched his nose at the corny line, and they both laughed at their silliness. Harry nuzzled Draco's nose and kissed him softly. He was happy and content and wanted the moment to last forever.

His dream was short-lived because, just then, their sons burst into the bedroom, promptly exclaiming in surprise and turning away while making sounds of disgust. Draco rolled his eyes and Harry groaned as they sat up.

"Merry Christmas, boys," Draco said, stretching. "What can we do for you?"

Albus glanced over his shoulder warily. On seeing that the two men weren't in any compromising positions, he turned around and said with a grin, "Mum said to hurry down so we can open presents!"

Scorpius slung an arm around Albus' shoulders, his grin matching his best friend's. "And Merry Christmas!"

Harry held his arms out, and both boys came over to give him a big hug. He ruffled their hair and wished them a merry Christmas, and Draco proceeded to hug them a moment later, patting them on the back. After reminding them to hurry up, the duo exited the room, talking excitedly.

"It's cute how they revert back to being children every Christmas," Draco said as he got out from under the covers.

"You say it like they aren't children otherwise," Harry replied, earning a pointed look from the blond. He laughed. "But yes, it _is_ cute."

"How's James doing?" Draco asked as they stepped into the bathroom.

"He seemed to be in a better mood after your little pep talk." Harry tossed his shirt in the laundry basket and walked over to the sink, where Draco was brushing his teeth. Wrapping his arms around the blond's waist, he began to trail kisses along his shoulder, all the way up to his ear. Their eyes met through their reflection in the mirror, and Harry tightened his arms around the blond as he sighed, happy.

Once they were done brushing, Draco turned on the shower, holding his fingers beneath it as he checked the water's temperature. Harry stripped off his clothes and sidled over to the blond, snaking an arm around his waist in an attempt to take his nightshirt off.

Draco flicked his wrist and splashed Harry with warm water, prompting the latter to go about taking the blond's clothes off with more vigour.

"Harry, stop," Draco said, laughing, despite conceding and shedding his silk pyjamas. "Everybody's downstairs. Have _some_ shame."

"What they don't know won't hurt them," Harry replied as he used his entire body to move Draco under the shower.

The blond closed his eyes and pushed his hair back with both hands, pouting his lips so the water that had gotten into his mouth flowed out and down his chin. Harry leant forward and kissed him, unable to resist. Draco arched his back so he was pushed flush against Harry and wound his fingers through Harry's hair as the latter wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. Harry brought one hand up to the small of the blond's back, splaying his fingers and pressing gently so his pelvis was thrust forward.

As Harry's other hand fell lower, Draco drew back, grabbing Harry's wrist with one hand and slapping his cheek lightly with the other. "What do you think you're doing right now?"

"What?" Harry muttered, entranced by how the water trickled down Draco's long lashes, flushed cheeks and pink lips. He drew closer, his focus fixed entirely on Draco's mouth, and it was only when the blond slapped his fingers over Harry's lips that he shifted his gaze upwards with a frown.

"What?" he asked again, and Draco scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You really have no shame at all, do you?"

"It's not my fault you look so bloody fine under the shower."

Draco rolled his eyes and shoved Harry back. "This is exactly why I didn't think it was a good idea to shower together. You're insatiable."

Harry grinned. "Don't act like you don't love it."

"Oh, I do," Draco said, his voice dropping a decibel. He stepped forward, so their faces were inches apart, his lips parted in a smirk. He reached around Harry, causing the latter's breath to hitch, and turned off the faucet. Harry pursed his lips, and Draco laughed, stepping out. "But I'd also prefer it if our children and your ex-wife weren't downstairs, waiting to open presents."

Harry waved a hand in dismissal, but Draco wouldn't have it. The blond reached over with a towel to dry Harry's hair, and the latter used the opportunity to once again pull Draco close. Draco draped the towel around Harry's neck and used it to pull him in for a kiss. Harry tightened his arms around the other's waist and deepened the kiss, and Draco responded eagerly despite his previous admonitions.

After several minutes, they broke apart, both panting, and Draco reached around to unclasp Harry's arms from around his waist before stepping away. "Alright. Get your clothes on. We're going downstairs."

"But we didn't even wash properly," Harry exclaimed, with an exaggerated gasp.

Draco rolled his eyes. "And whose fault is that? Besides, I showered last night, so I'm fine."

Harry stepped back under the showerhead to wash himself down quickly, and stepped back out, holding the towel out to Draco with an expectant grin.

"You are such a child," Draco quipped, although he took the towel and dried Harry's hair for him again anyway. "Alright. _Now_ let's go." When Harry tried to kiss Draco, the blond flicked him on the forehead. "And no more hanky panky."

"Have I told you how much you remind me of Ginny sometimes?" Harry said, rolling his eyes, as he pulled on his shirt and stepped out of the bathroom.

"He does?"

Harry started and looked up to see Ginny making the bed. He gave her an odd look.

She smiled, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I didn't mean to walk in on you; I knocked and got no answer, so I peeked and didn't see either of you…" She motioned to the bed. "And the bed was unmade, so…"

Draco chuckled as he came over to help Ginny straighten out the sheets. "I can see why I remind Harry of you."

Ginny flushed, although she looked pleased, and Harry turned away so he could get dressed and ignore the awkwardness he was feeling. _I mean, how does one behave when one's ex-partner and current partner are making the bed that they've both slept in before?_

"Right, I'll see you both downstairs," Ginny said busily as she bustled out. Just as Harry was about to relax, she rushed back in and gave him a big hug, moving to hug Draco next. "And Happy Christmas! I almost forgot!" She laughed and left, leaving Harry to stare after her without knowing how to react.

"She's such a whirlwind of energy," Draco commented, as he came over to hand Harry his jumper.

Harry pulled the jumper over his head, still somewhat stunned. "Yeah…"

"Shall we?" Draco motioned to the door and held a hand out, as though sensing Harry's nervousness.

Harry exhaled and steeled himself, putting on a smile. "Yeah. Let's."

He took Draco's hand, and they exited the bedroom.

* * *

Harry was only half listening to Ron and George's exaggerated recounting of the supposed explosion that had occurred in one of the Wheezes' branches, his gaze flickering every now and again to Draco and Ginny, who were seated at the counter, chatting away about Merlin knew what.

"If it's bothering you so much, why don't you go join them," Hermione said in a low voice, nudging his arm when he looked at her warily.

He eyed Draco and Ginny again and sighed. "They seem happier without me there. Maybe me going over will only make it awkward."

"Then man up and wait it out," Hermione replied, sipping her tea. Harry pursed his lips and glared at her. She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but Harry could see the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Hey, I'm only doling out free advice, here. It's your job to come up with a solution to your problems."

"Gee, thanks for all the help, 'Mione. What ever would I do without you?" Harry said sarcastically, making Hermione chuckle and causing Ron and George to turn to them wide-eyed.

"How can you laugh, 'Mione?" Ron asked, aghast. "A little boy almost died!"

Hermione coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up her mis-timed laugh, but Angelina was already groaning and saying, "Seriously, you guys. If I have to listen to this story one more time, we're getting a divorce." She pointed at George, looking a little too serious for it to be funny.

"Don't even joke about that," George snapped, his voice somewhat strained, and Angelina rolled her eyes before walking away. George glanced at Harry for a moment, as though blaming him for being divorced, then followed after his wife.

"What's up with them?" Harry asked, frowning as they stepped out into the garden and started arguing. Both Ron and Hermione sighed, but neither answered, and Harry glanced between them. "Seriously, are they having problems or something?"

"You don't hate the story too, do you?" Ron asked Hermione, ignoring Harry.

Hermione sipped her tea, refusing to answer either man.

"You're not gonna ask for a _divorce,_ are you?" Ron whispered, looking alarmed, and Hermione scoffed before smacking him on the arm and walking away. Ron threw Harry a wide-eyed look of worry before rushing after her, but he was stopped by Lily and Hugo asking him how to make one of their toys work.

Harry nodded to him when Ron looked to him with a pleading expression and made his way to where Hermione was washing her teacup.

"You know we can just clean them all up in a second altogether, right?" he asked, grabbing the cup from her and placing it in the sink.

"I know."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes. "We're not having problems, Harry. Ron and I are very much in love, and despite the recent trend, are going to be together for a long, long time."

Ignoring the jab at his marriage, Harry asked, "Then what was that all about back there?"

She shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Gotta keep him on his toes so he doesn't get too comfortable, right?"

Harry frowned. "Working at the DMLE is turning you into a complete sadist."

"Or, it's just bringing out her true nature," Draco piped in, swivelling around on the stool and raising his teacup in a salute.

"You know me well, Malfoy," Hermione said with a grin, taking his cup from him and placing it in the sink. She walked over to perch on the barstool beside him, effortlessly joining in whatever conversation Ginny and Draco were having and making Harry want to pull the stool out from under her.

When she gave him a pointed look, Draco caught it and looked over at Harry with a questioning smile. Harry forced a laugh and walked over to stand beside Draco, laying an arm on his shoulders, relaxing in the slightest when the blond placed his arm around Harry's waist.

He was much too preoccupied by his unnecessary thoughts to participate in the conversation, almost jumping in joy when the shrill ringing of his phone gave him an excuse to walk away.

"Saved by the bloody bell," he muttered to himself as his deputy's name appeared on the screen. "Talk to me, Ryan."

"Sir, we have a situation." There was a lot of background noise and the sound of people panicking, and Harry's heart started to race. Ryan's voice was barely audible, and Harry could hardly tell what he was saying. "You need to get down here right now. I'll send you my location."

The call was disconnected, and just as Harry received Ryan's location, Hermione's phone went off. He turned around to see her have a hurried conversation with the caller before jumping off the stool and walking over to him.

She covered the speaker with her palm, her eyes wide with worry. "Did you hear?"

"Not exactly—"

"There's a hostage situation at St Peter's Church in Cornhill. The proximity to the Leaky has the Ministry believing that they could be one of ours."

Harry ran a hand down his face. "What's the situation with the Muggles?"

"The London PD has the place surrounded, but the perps are refusing to negotiate." Hermione was still on call with whoever was on the line, and Harry could hear them shouting on the other end.

"Are they asking for anybody specific?" Harry asked, glancing up to see Ginny and Draco's worried expressions.

"I'm not too sure. I just know that they're refusing to make any contact with the Muggle police."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Ryan just sent me his location; it looks like he's on the scene. I'll have him get in contact with the perps and see if they respond to us."

"What'll you do?"

Harry swallowed, his mind firing off all the options and possible courses of action. "First things first, I'll have to talk to Kingsley."

"I'll come with you."

Harry wanted to argue but knew there was no point, so they nodded and made their way back inside. "Hey." He placed an arm on Draco's back and looked between him and Ginny as Hermione went to talk to Ron, George and Angelina.

"What is it?" Draco asked, his silver eyes clouded with worry.

"What's going on, Harry?" Ginny was on the edge of her seat, her expression mirroring Draco's. "Is everything alright?"

"I can't answer that, as of now, but it's going to be." He leant down to kiss Draco and looked past Ginny to see Ron hugging Hermione. "'Mione and I have to head back to the Ministry, but we'll keep you updated."

"But what's happening?" Ginny asked as Hermione walked over and tossed Harry his coat.

"Don't turn on the TV!" Harry yelled at Ron, who froze, remote in hand. Harry looked at Ginny. "Don't panic or the kids will get antsy. Watch the news on your phones if you want, but don't turn on the TV. It's still Christmas. Let's not ruin it for them yet."

Everybody nodded, and Harry glanced at Hermione. They walked over to the Apparition point and, with one final look around and reassuring smiles, spun on the spot and Disapparated.

* * *

"Talk to me, Ryan," Harry bellowed into his phone as he and Hermione made their way to the Minister's office.

"Looks like they're ours, sir," Ryan said, sounding agitated. "But they're still refusing to negotiate with us."

"Who're they asking for?" Hermione asked, grabbing the phone from Harry and switching it to speakerphone.

There was a pause, and they could only hear background noise. "Ryan!" Harry snapped. "Who are they asking for?"

"You, sir," his deputy said, sounding apologetic. "They want to talk to you."

Harry swore as he disconnected the call and threw open the door to Kingsley's office, startling the men inside.

"By Merlin, Potter, can't you knock?" one of the DMLE's top-brass, and Harry's only direct superior, Byron, said, a disdainful look on his face.

"I'll remember that when I'm dropping in for tea," Harry snapped, turning his attention to Kingsley. "They're asking for me."

The other wizards grumbled and muttered under their breath. "Of course they are!" Byron exclaimed. "Yet another hooligan stirring up trouble to get the attention of Harry Potter! Will this never end?"

Kingsley held up a hand to silence the others and nodded at Harry. "Did they say why?"

"They're refusing to talk to anyone but Harry, sir," Hermione chipped in, sending the older wizards off on another tirade.

"What is _she_ doing here?"

"I say, are you his personal secretary? Why _are_ you here?"

Hermione's jaw set, and she bristled but said nothing, her attention focused on the Minsiter. Kingsley sighed and nodded. "Alright. Go down there, Potter."

"Minister!"

"What choice to we have, Congressman?" Kingsley barked, and the old timers shut up, grumbling under their breath. Kingsley turned to Hermione. "You'll stay here and delegate."

"Of course, sir."

Kingsley nodded. "Contain this situation before it gets out of hand, Potter."

"On it." Harry nodded to the rest, spun on his heel, and Apparated into the Auror Office.

There were some startled reactions, but everyone gathered around him in the matter of seconds. "I'm sure you all know the situation," Harry said, looking around.

"Yessir!"

"Good. Mrs Weasley's going to be giving the orders while I'm gone, so do as she says."

"Yessir!"

Harry nodded as Hermione appeared and made his way to his office. He stepped in to find someone already there, ready with all the equipment he would need.

"Auror Henley," Harry said as he came over and picked up the Invisibility Belt—a device modelled after the Invisibility Cloak that had several hooks and pouches to store equipment and would turn everything invisible at the tap of a button.

"Sir, I don't need to remind you of the dangers, do I?" Alyssa said, making Harry chuckle.

"I can take care of myself just fine, Henley."

"Alyssa."

Harry looked up at her with a raised eyebrow as she proceeded to help him hook on the rope. She wouldn't meet his eyes when she said, "You call Auror Buxley by his first name."

"His father trained me into the Auror that I am," Harry said, constantly amused by the two's rivalry.

"Yes, well, I'm also under your tutelage, so I hardly think it too much to ask you to address both of us at the same level of familiarity." She tightened the straps on the belt, hit the button to turn it invisible, and stepped back with a satisfied nod, although she still refused to meet his eyes.

"Now it's like you're staring at my crotch, and that's inappropriate," Harry said, grinning as he watched Alyssa's cheeks flush and her wide blue eyes fix on his.

"Sir!"

Harry laughed, reaching up to tousle her blond hair. "You need to ease up, Henley, or Ryan's going to keep beating you."

"Now you're just making fun of me," she groused, pouting like a little girl, and Harry genuinely hoped Lily would grow up to be like her.

"Was that not clear this entire time?" Harry teased as he strapped on the vest, chuckling when Alyssa's shoulders sagged.

"You never tease Buxley," she complained, helping Harry tighten the clasps at the back.

"Doesn't that make you special, then?" He winked over his shoulder, smiling to himself as he watched her contemplate.

Once he had on all the necessary gear, Harry nodded and stepped back. "Do I look like a Muggle police officer?"

Alyssa held up a hand, her index finger and thumb forming a circle to symbolise the OK sign. "Absolutely."

Harry hummed in thought. "Alright, then. Looks like I'm good to go."

Alyssa handed him his wand with two hands, all solemn and respectful, and Harry had to restrain the urge to ruffle her hair again.

"I'm leaving you in charge while Ryan and I are on the field, so I hope you can help Mrs Weasley keep her wits about her," Harry said as they walked out of the office.

Alyssa puffed out her chest, looking important, and nodded vigorously. Harry smiled to himself despite the situation, sobering up when they came to stand in front of Hermione.

"Alright," she said, her hair already frizzing out of control. "Everything's going to be fine. Yeah." She dusted Harry's vest for good measure and patted it. "You'll be fine."

"I killed a Dark Lord, Hermione," Harry said, as he always did when he was trying to reassure her, "I'll be fine."

She nodded, looking like she was trying to convince herself of the same. "Right. Of course."

Alyssa stepped up beside her and smiled up at Harry. "You can leave things here in my capable hands, sir."

"I knew I could count on you if I died, Henley," Harry joked, making both women stare at him, aghast. "I'm joking, sheesh. Relax. I'm only going in as a negotiator and nothing else."

"Negotiators are the ones most likely to get injured," Alyssa commented.

"Not helping," Hermione supplied.

"Sorry," Alyssa said, head bowed in shame.

Harry laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "You two are such a riot. Alright, off I go!"

He Disapparated before either could say anything else, appearing in the atrium. He jogged over to the Apparition points, pulled out his phone to doublecheck the location Ryan had sent, fingered his wand just to make sure it was there, and Disapparated.

"Ryan!" Harry called as he jogged over to the barricades. Ryan waved at the cops to let Harry through. "What's the situation like?" he asked as he came up to where Ryan was with the rest of the London PD.

"Still the same." Ryan motioned to the stern-faced man standing next to him. "This is Agent Mullen. He's heading the task force today." Harry nodded at the other man, who nodded back. "Do you need me to brief you again?"

Harry looked towards the church. "We have four armed assailants and twelve unarmed hostages, three of whom are elderly, four who are children, and one of whom is pregnant, yes?"

"Yessir."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Let them know I'm here."

Agent Mullen nodded and barked the order, and one of the cops announced Harry's arrival through a megaphone. They waited for a response of any kind, Agent Mullen muttering to himself the entire time.

"He's clearly not happy that I'm the one going in," Harry said to Ryan in a low voice.

"Agent Mullen is just sullen, sir. Don't let it get to you."

Harry snorted and nudged Ryan. "Good one."

There was some commotion from the back, and they turned around to see what was going on. Harry groaned when he spotted a familiar face.

"Teddy!" he yelled, waving at the cops that it was alright to let him in. They didn't look too happy, but they complied. "What the hell are you doing here?" Harry demanded as his Godson jogged up to them.

"I was at the Leaky with some mates when I heard the commotion." He eyed Harry's vest. "You going in?"

"I am. And you're leaving. _Now."_

"I could help," Teddy said, looking at Ryan.

Harry crossed his arms. "No. Go home. Now."

"We actually could use his help, sir," Ryan said, flinching when Harry shot him a glare. Turning to Teddy, he asked, "How good are you with Memory Charms?"

"Excellent," Teddy answered, and Harry said, "Absolutely not," at the same time.

"We may need as many hands as we can get if the situation escalates, sir," Ryan tried to reason, and Harry was just about to give his deputy a piece of his mind when one of the cops ran up to them and informed them that the assailants were ready to negotiate.

Harry sighed and pointed a finger at Teddy. "You. Go home before I call your grandmother." Teddy blanched, looking like he'd been betrayed, but Harry ignored him. "And you." He pointed at Ryan. "Keep him out of trouble. He's a civilian."

"Yessir!" Ryan said with a smart salute, and Harry shot Teddy one final warning look before making his way into the church.

With his hands held out on either side, elbows parallel to the ground and fingers splayed, he slowly made his way across the nave, to the group of people at the other end. A quick appraisal of the situation gave him a general idea of what to do if things went south.

The four gunmen were surrounding the hostages, guns pointed at Harry (and while he was curious about why they had chosen Muggle weapons, considering they had asked for him and were presumably wizards, he didn't dwell on it too much). The hostages themselves were positioned in such a way that the most vulnerable ones—the elderly, children and the pregnant woman—were situated in the centre, with the others behind them. The pregnant woman was sitting in-between the legs of a man, who was either her partner or a doctor because he was instructing her on how to breathe and to remain calm. Besides her, nobody else seemed to be in any sort of physical harm.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said, stopping about five metres away. "I'm here to negotiate terms."

"We don't want to negotiate," the assailant on the left said, and Harry was surprised by the rough yet unmistakably feminine voice. Her build was quite large and bulky, which had caused him to mistake her for a man, but on closer inspection, she definitely was smaller than the other three.

"Then what do you want?" Harry asked, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face. If they didn't want to negotiate, that meant trouble, and he started thinking of all the possible ways to get the hostages safely out.

"I want to know why you did it, you evil bastard," the woman spat, her voice trembling with rage.

Harry swallowed. What had he done? His mind started whirring as he tried to recollect all the high-profile criminals he had put away for good over the years, but there were far too many to count.

"You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked, taking a step forward and pointing the rifle at his chest.

Harry was calculating the number of seconds he would need to put up a shield when the realisation suddenly hit him—bullets weren't magical. They would penetrate straight through a magical shield without a problem. _Is that why they chose guns instead of magic?_ Harry thought, his heart racing.

Although he had his belt and his wand, he was practically unarmed because all of his weapons were magical, and they did little to no good against Muggle firearms.

Harry's earpiece buzzed just then, and Ryan's voice came on. "Sir, this situation is far more dangerous than we anticipated. You _will_ die if they shoot at you."

 _Well, it's too late now,_ Harry thought as he inhaled deeply and decided that his best bet was too keep the woman talking.

"I've put away a lot of criminals," Harry began, wondering if he had taken the wrong approach. "I can't remember every single one of them."

The woman scoffed. "Criminal, he says! Just because I'm standing here with a gun pointed at you doesn't mean everyone related to me is a criminal!"

"Don't instigate her any further, you moron!" someone yelled into Harry's ear, and he presumed it was Agent Mullen.

"You have to tell me what I did," Harry said, licking his dry lips. "Because, even if you kill me, I still won't know what it is I did."

The woman laughed, an unpleasant, grunting sound. "Kill you? Now why would I want to do that?" She pointed her gun at the pregnant woman, and the hostages collectively gasped and recoiled. "Killing you would be no fun. But killing her while you stand there, helpless, just like I did as you murdered my father? Now that would be something else."

 _Wait, what?_

"You killed her father?" Agent Mullen demanded, but Harry ignored him. He was too busy trying to piece together what little information she had given him to see if he could remember a specific instance.

But he couldn't. He couldn't remember a single instance when someone's death had been at his hand and not a consequence of his actions or the situation they were in. Even Voldemort had died from his own spell. Harry had never _killed_ someone.

So then what was this woman talking about?

"I'm going to kill all of them, one by one," the woman was saying. "Shoot them dead, just like you did my father!"

The more she spoke, the less her words made sense. Now she was claiming that Harry had _shot_ someone to death?

"Are you sure you have the right person?" he blurted out before he could stop himself, and Mullen swore in his ear.

The woman half screamed, half laughed, and even her own gunmen seemed uncertain of what she would do. "I'm going to kill them all!" she screeched, pointing the rifle to the ceiling and pulling the trigger.

Everybody cowered as the shots rang out through the quiet space, and Harry glanced at the other three. One of them stepped forward and said, "You said we wasn't gonna kill anyone, sis! We only agreed 'cause you said nobody was gonna get hurt!"

"Shut yer trap ya ungrateful mutt," the woman bellowed, her words slurring, and Harry started to panic.

He had been in hostage situations before. Hell, he'd been taken hostage himself quite a few times. But he had never been faced with a gun-wielding mad-woman who seemed to have mistaken him for someone else.

 _But she asked for me specifically,_ his mind supplied as he deliberated on what his next move should be. Clearly, their original plan hadn't been to hurt, let alone kill, anyone. So the rifles, that were probably hunting rifles from the looks of them, were more to threaten than anything.

 _But then what does she want from me?_

"I want you to suffer the same pain I did!" the woman cried, as though reading his mind, aiming at the pregnant woman again.

Harry clicked his wand out from the flap in his sleeve and waved it just as the woman pulled the trigger.

" _Arresto Momentum!"_

He hadn't been sure if the spell would work, but when the bullet slowed, Harry silently cheered. The momentary shock of the situation gave him the few seconds he needed to take action. He used mild blasting jinxes to blast the guns out of the assailants hands, and Conjured ropes that tied themselves around their wrists and ankles. He then pointed his wand at the pregnant woman, who had lost consciousness by this point.

" _Accio belt!"_

The belt wasn't on the woman, but on the man behind her, and after a few seconds of struggling, the two lurched forward, towards Harry and away from the bullet, and the sudden action startled the other hostages to scramble out of the way.

Harry grabbed the woman's purse and Transfigured it into a heavy frying pan, then flew it around the room to knock the four perpetrators out. He heard Mullen giving orders through his earpiece and quickly used a blanket memory charm to Obliviate everybody in the room before saying, "Ryan, how quickly can you cast a mass memory charm?"

"With some help, fairly quickly," Ryan replied, and Harry didn't have the time to worry about what he meant because Mullen and his men came bursting in just then.

They stopped short, looking around in confusion, and Mullen bellowed, "What in heaven's name happened here?"

Harry shrugged before waving his wand and casting another mass memory charm on the lot. Ryan ran inside a moment later and helped him expand the charm.

"Contact the DMAC and get them down here to clean up this mess," Harry said, breathless.

Ryan grinned. "Already done, sir. They should be here in a few minutes."

Harry nodded and slid down onto one of the pews, panting hard from expending so much magic in such a short period of time. He watched as Ryan went about doing damage control, glad for his help.

"Harry!" Teddy called as he rushed in and knelt down beside Harry. "Are you alright?"

"Your grandmother isn't going to be too pleased when I tell her you stayed," Harry griped.

"Oh, come on! I'm going into Auror training soon! It was valuable field experience!"

"Well, then," Harry said, getting to his feet. "You ignored the order of the Head Auror, which could cost you your badge and career."

"I don't have a badge," Teddy argued, his cheeks flushing.

"And you won't, if you don't do as you're told," Harry said seriously. He sighed when Teddy looked disappointed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Being an Auror means being responsible for your own safety first, then the safety of others, _especially_ civilians. It doesn't mean doing rash, stupid, heroic things."

"Like what you just did?" Teddy asked with a snort.

Harry nodded. "Like what I just did."

When his Godson looked at him in surprise, Harry smiled. "The only reason I came out of this without a scratch is because—"

"Let me guess. Because you got lucky?" Teddy said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

Harry swatted his head. "No, it had nothing to do with luck. The only reason I came out of this without a scratch is because I followed instructions for years and gained the experience I needed to stay calm, think on my feet, and act quickly. The only reason I'm standing here right now, Teddy, isn't because I got lucky, but because I stayed alive."

He patted the lad on his cheek. "The first thing you have to learn before you can even _dream_ of becoming an Auror is how to stay alive and survive. Got that?"

"Yessir!"

Harry smiled. "Good. Now, get your arse down to the Ministry to give them your statement."

"Yessir!" Teddy jogged away, calling over his shoulder, "You were super cool today, Harry!"

Harry laughed, scratching his ear in embarrassment but feeling pleased nonetheless. Once the DMAC arrived, he stayed back for some time longer to give instructions, then Apparated to the Ministry.

He walked past Alyssa and Hermione and made a beeline into his office, motioning for them to follow him.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Hermione asked in a rush as soon as she was inside.

Harry waved a hand. "Shut the door and sit down. I have something very interesting to discuss."

* * *

 **A/n: Here's a little glossary for my lovely readers:**

 **The DMLE refers to the Department of Magical Law and Enforcement, under which the Auror Office works.**

 **The DMAC refers to the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, or what I like to call "the clean-up squad". They're the ones that erase memories and take care of the wizards' messes after magical incidents happen.**

 **The Leaky refers to the Leaky Cauldron.**

 **The Invisibility Belt is one of my many nifty creations and is the lovechild of a police duty belt and the Invisibility Cloak. It basically is a belt that lets you carry equipment easily and has a switch that the wearer can use to toggle the invisibility function on and off. Like the Invisibility Cloak, the belt turns anything on it invisible.**

 **Apparition Points are something I've expanded from canon just to make Apparating in and out of places simpler. These are specific locations in magically warded houses or other buildings from where you can Apparate in and out of the premises. It just makes life easier because you don't have to keep using the Floo, but as Apparating is tiring to begin with, people prefer to use the Floo anyway.**

 **I'm also an avid propagator of the convenience of mobile phones, and while it was all well and good in HP canon that was set in the 90s, it doesn't make sense in later times. I've explained more about this in the prequel, Iridescent Lies, but basically the wizarding world figured out how to use Muggle devices, like mobile phones, even within magical enclosures. They do wear out very quickly and go wonky quite often, but for people like Harry and Hermione, where timeliness is a very important factor in their jobs and they can't always sit around waiting for letters or Patronus messages to arrive/be delivered, mobile phones are useful tools. The latest invention to preserve and make them useable are magically reinforced cases.**

 **Also, if you're wondering, yes, Ryan is Buxley's son from Iridescent Lies and took over after Rogers (the previous deputy) stepped down (for reasons that'll eventually be mentioned).**

 **That** ** _should_** **have covered everything, but if you have any other questions, feel free to leave it in a review! Also, if you have any Drarry story ideas you would like to see written, lemme know and I'll write them!**

 **What did you think of this chapter? I originally had a different idea for the hostage situation, but this played out to be a better plotline than that one, so I'm sticking with this.**

 **Thanks for being patient!**

 **Love,**

 **Arty xx**


	3. Chapter 3: Recurrence isn't Coincidental

**Chapter 3**

 **Recurrence Isn't Coincidental**

* * *

"So what're you trying to say?" Hermione asked, her brows pulled together in a frown.

Harry sighed. "First, let's recount what we know." He sat forward, placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers. "It's already been established that they were Muggles. But them asking for me cannot have been a coincidence."

"Let's also not forget that she recognised your face," Alyssa added as she wrote in her notebook.

Harry nodded. "How she knew not just my name but also my face is beyond me, and why she thought I shot her father to death is something I'm extremely curious about."

"The Imperius Curse?" Hermione suggested, to which Harry shook his head.

"That was my first thought too, but she didn't seem to be in the daze that the spell puts you in. She knew exactly what she was saying and doing, and she was most definitely doing it of her own volition."

"Buxley also informed us that the only traces of magic in the Church belonged to you, him, and the clean-up squad," Alyssa added. "So there couldn't have been an unknown third-party there casting the spell."

"Must you call them that?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms. "The DMAC really dislikes being called 'the clean-up squad'."

Alyssa blanched at her mistake, but Harry only rolled his eyes. "Priorities, Hermione."

Hermione shot Alyssa a glare but dropped the subject. Instead, she turned back to Harry and asked, "Then do you suspect a stronger brainwashing of some kind?"

Harry reached up to rub the back of his neck with a sigh. "I don't know what to suspect, to be honest. Clearly whoever made this woman believe that I murdered her father in cold blood is after me, but what I can't figure out is why they're using Muggles to get to me."

"Maybe they realised the regular methods don't work," Hermione reckoned. "I mean, aside from a few nasty incidents, you've more-or-less gotten away unscathed from haters' attacks for years."

"You also said yourself: if she _had_ shot you with her gun, you may have died," Alyssa added. "Why she didn't, we may never know—maybe this was the perpetrator's way of warning you of what's to come—but either way, none of us would've expected it if you had been attacked by Muggle weapons."

Harry and Hermione nodded, pensive. "That was an oversight on our part," Hermione said in a low, sombre voice, "that could've cost you your life, Harry."

"Can we please give me the benefit of the doubt, here?" Harry said, trying to ease the tension in the room. "I mean, I handled it perfectly, wouldn't you say?"

Alyssa nodded vigorously, but Hermione only sighed. "Just because you came back from the dead once doesn't mean it'll happen again, is all I'm trying to say."

"'Mione," Harry said in a warning tone when Alyssa glanced between them wide-eyed. "There's no need to dig up the past and mention irrelevant things."

"Actually, there _is_ a need to dig up the past," Hermione said, pulling out an over-stuffed binder as though in hindsight. She placed a hand on it. "This is a compilation of all the cases you've handled personally as well as all the attacks on you over the years. I'm sure this'll at least give us _some_ clues, if not the answer itself."

Harry took the binder from her, making sure to be extra careful. "I am in awe, once again, of your extreme bookworm-ness," Harry said, earning a sharp slap on the back of his hand from her. "Ow!" he exclaimed, shaking his hand and grinning. "I meant it as a compliment!"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs with a huff. "If you die, don't ever let it be said that it was because I didn't try hard enough."

"Nobody in their right mind would ever accuse your lack of effort as the cause of my death, 'Mione," Harry said with a chuckle. He patted the binder and smiled sweetly at Alyssa. "Henley, I've got a big job for you. Can you handle it?"

The blonde eyed the binder, looking intimidated, but inhaled a deep breath and nodded with determination. "You can leave it to me, sir!"

"Good." Harry watched her carefully pick up the binder, her blue eyes wide and almost fearful. "Get the twins to help; I'm sure they wouldn't mind." He grinned at Hermione. "Actually, you may just find them outside your office, requesting you to be their mentor after they take a look at that binder."

Hermione sighed. "It won't be the first time I'll turn them down."

Alyssa excused herself and shuffled out of the room, and the minute the door closed, Hermione leant forward and said, "Harry, you _need_ to stop treating her like a child."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"You treat her like a little girl! Like she's Lily!"

He shrugged. "And what's wrong with that? She doesn't seem to mind."

"That's exactly the problem!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation when Harry continued to stare at her cluelessly. "Harry, you're her _boss_ , not her father. You need to establish a professional relationship with her before she comes crying to you with…with _boy problems_ or something."

Harry chuckled. "Oh, she already does."

"Harry!"

"Hermione, relax. I treat her professionally in front of her colleagues, just as I do with Ryan, but when it's just us, I can't help but dote on them a little. I practically raised those two over the past eight years; they're as good as my kids."

Hermione's shoulders sagged in defeat and she shook her head. "Was being accused of nepotism once not enough of a wake-up call for you?"

Harry snorted as his phone began to ring. "I made Ryan deputy because he _earned_ it, not because he's the previous deputy's son, and hell if I care if a bunch of unhappy saps whinge and cry over being inadequate." He placed the phone to his ear. "Speak to me, Ryan."

"Sir, Detective Mullen just finished interrogating the perps."

"And?"

Ryan hesitated. "The three men know nothing, Sir. They were acting on the woman's order, and the woman herself just keeps claiming that you killed her father. But when asked how or what exactly happened, she has no recollection of the event itself. It could be PTSD, but we've also asked for—excuse me for a second, Sir."

Harry waited as Ryan spoke to someone else for a few moments, then he came back on the line, sounding excited. "Sir, I was just informed that we've found her father, and it turns out that he was sentenced to prison fifteen years ago for murdering the man he believed raped his wife but was actually innocent."

Harry massaged his temple. "So he's alive?"

"Apparently."

With a sigh, Harry nodded. "Alright. Give me some time; I'll see if I can get the papers to have her transferred here. It's clear that her memories were tampered with, most likely using magic." He looked up to see Hermione rising from her seat. She gestured that she'll call him and Disapparated. "Leave your men there and get back here, Ryan. Alyssa and the twins are trying to piece together the puzzle right now, and I need you here to explain the technicalities to the DMAC; they may be able to help us figure out what's going on with this woman's memories."

"Yessir!"

He hung up the phone and replaced it in his pocket, leaning against the desk with a heavy sigh. _Some Christmas this is shaping out to be._

* * *

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but they need Daddy to be here," Harry explained to a crying Lily on the phone, his chest clenching at the sound of her sobs. "Princess, please don't cry. I'll come back as soon as I can, OK? I promise."

"That's what you _always_ say!" she whined. "But you always break your promises, so I don't believe you!"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, looking up as there were two knocks on the door and Ryan poked his head in. He waved him in and bit back a sigh as he heard Ginny try to placate his sobbing daughter.

"Lily, honey, Daddy has to go now but I'll call as soon as I can, OK? Lily?"

"Harry, I'm sorry, she's really upset," Ginny's said. "I'll talk to her; don't worry about it. And please be safe, alright?"

"Yeah. Sorry, and thanks," he replied, sighing as he hung up. He looked up at Ryan's sympathetic expression and offered him a small smile. "You must've hated your dad too, huh?"

Ryan scratched his ear. "To tell you the truth, I hated you more for making him work."

Harry nodded with a wry smile. "Of course. I'm always the bad guy."

"Sir, I didn't mean—"

He waved a hand in dismissal of the topic. "How's the transfer coming along?"

Ryan grimaced, looking apologetic. "Something's come up."

"Of course it has," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "What now?"

"Detective Mullen wants to speak with you before he allows us to move her."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, fine, whatever." He held a hand out, expecting Ryan to dial Detective Mullen and hand him the phone, but his deputy's grimace only grew more pronounced.

"In person, Sir."

"Sonnuva—" Harry ruffled his hair angrily, frustrated that one complication after the other had to arise on Christmas, of all days. "Alright, fine, let's get this over and done with."

They arrived at the precinct a short while after, Harry still annoyed with what Ryan had just told him about the DMLE forming an alliance with Mullen so his team could provide them "assistance" if a similar situation were to arise.

"You're sure they've already sworn him in?" Harry muttered as they stood in the lift.

Ryan nodded. "I was one of the witnesses present when they performed the ceremony."

Harry scoffed. "I still find it amusing that they still perform that elaborate ceremony for something that should otherwise take thirty seconds. It's literally just creating a new Seal of Secrecy onto the Statute of Secrecy parchment."

"Well, we do it more to appease the Muggles that magic is everything they believe it to be," Ryan said with a noncommittal shrug.

The lift pinged, and the doors opened. They stepped out, making their way to the back of the bustling precinct.

"Auror Potter," Detective Mullen said, holding out a hand as they approached.

Harry shook it with a brief nod and a tight smile. "Detective Mullen."

They entered the small briefing room, and Mullen shut the door behind them, looking as sullen as ever as he said, "So, I have been briefed regarding this whole… thing," he waved a hand, "but I won't lie, I don't think I've fully wrapped my head around it yet."

"I'd be surprised if you had," Harry said, shifting in his seat. "Is Brown ready to be transferred?"

Mullen nodded. "I apologise for having an important man like you come down here yourself, but this… _magic_ business is all new to me, and I'm more relieved now that I've met you again myself." He shrugged, looking weirdly awkward and making Harry feel uncomfortable at the sudden reversal in the dynamic between them. "I'm not so good with understanding hierarchy, you see. But, enough chatter; I'll take you down to the holding cells right now… Sir."

Harry wanted to grimace at being addressed so respectfully by the man who had been swearing at him a few hours prior but nodded and followed behind Mullen as they made their way back to the lift. The other man pointed out the people on his team, who nodded at them as they passed, and kept up a steady stream of chatter all the way down to the holding cells, causing Harry to only half-listen and letting Ryan respond on his behalf.

Once Harry had ensured that Brown was secure and ready to be transferred to the Ministry's holding cells, they made their way outside, Ryan attempting to explain to Mullen that there was no need for him to come down to the Ministry himself.

"We'll take it from here," Harry said, when his deputy's attempts were getting nowhere. Mullen stiffened and nodded, looking chastised, and Harry bit back a sigh. "I'll have someone bring you down to speak with some of my men shortly."

That seemed to placate the detective, whose demeanour had now changed to that of a loyal police dog, and Harry instructed Ryan to begin the transfer. He stood to the side, watching as they bustled about, spotting a lad a ways off smoking a cigarette and wondering how he hadn't sunk into any bad habits himself in all the years as an Auror.

Someone shoved past him, bumping into him hard enough to make him stagger, and Harry yelled out to him, annoyed. "Hey, watch it!"

The man, who was dressed fully in black with a black cap on his head, didn't even bother turning around as he raised a gloved hand in apology and then hefted up the duffel bag hanging from his shoulder.

Harry frowned at him, his already poor mood only getting worse, and he looked away, tapping his foot in irritation as he checked his watch for the time.

"Hurry it up, fellas," he called out to the Aurors moving Brown. "I haven't got all day."

That got Detective Mullen on their backs, and Harry watched as Brown walked out of the precinct. She shot him a glare and bared her teeth, struggling so hard against her restraints that another Auror had to come up to help hold her back, and she was pushed into the specially-inforced police van, which Harry had thought was overkill, but because they were playing the part of the "feds", apparently it was a necessity.

"Alright, let's get a move on," Harry said, shaking Mullen's hand again and patting him on the shoulder good-naturedly. "Ryan, get in the front with me."

"Yessir!"

Ryan jogged around the van to where Harry was, and someone pushed past him. Ryan paused to look over his shoulder with a frown, giving Harry a few seconds to realise that it was the same man who had bumped into him a few minutes ago, and a bad feeling settled in his stomach.

As the man pulled something out of his pocket, jogging away from them, Harry noticed that he no longer had the duffel bag. He rushed towards Ryan and yelled, "Everybody get down!"

He barely had time to put up protective shields as he pushed the lad down and covered him with his body, the explosion going off seconds later.

* * *

Draco was pacing the living room, unable to contain his worry and frustration at not getting any more information than what the news was giving him—which was a brief mention of a hostage situation that had been resolved but nothing too detailed—as Ron and Ginny remained glued in front of the television.

George and Angelina—they had insisted he call them by their first names as 'Weasley' referred to far too many people now—had taken the kids to the Muggle shopping centre nearby to keep them distracted.

A phone rang, and Ginny had pounced on it and picked it up before Draco could even turn around to see where the ringing was coming from. "Yes, hello," she gasped, her face pale and her expression anxious.

Her eyes widened, and a hand flew to her mouth. She slowly turned to stare at Draco, her eyes filling up with tears as Ron kept asking, "What? What is it? What's happened?"

 _No,_ Draco thought, his heart sinking. _Please no._

He rushed to grab the phone from her and pressed it to his ear, heart racing. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr Malfoy?" a voice he recognised but took a few seconds to place asked.

"Yes? Deputy Buxley?"

Ryan coughed, and the line crackled for a moment before he said, "Yessir. Sir, I need you to come down to St Bartholowmew's Hospital on King Edward Street. It's an emergency."

"Is Harry alright?" Draco asked, clutching the phone with both hands. "What's happened? Is he alright?"

There was a brief pause before Ryan said, "I think it would be better if you came down here first, Sir. Please don't panic; he's fine."

Just then, Ron turned up the volume, and the anchor announced, "We have just received information regarding a bomb blast outside of the City of London Police Department. The explosion itself does not seem to have been a very powerful one, but several federal agents assisting in the transfer of a prisoner—and the prisoner herself—have sustained considerably serious injuries as the police van that was being used for the transfer exploded. The perpetrator has been caught and is being questioned currently. We shall let our reporter on the scene give you more information regarding the situation."

Draco staggered, his knees weak, and sank down on the sofa, a strangled sob escaping his lips as Ginny burst into tears and Ron swore loudly, throwing the remote on the floor.

"Sir?" Ryan's voice said on the phone—which Draco had forgotten was still pressed to his ear—and he swallowed thickly, composing himself enough to speak.

"I'll be there in five minutes. Where do I find you?"

* * *

"Ron! Ginny!" Hermione yelled, waving to them as they rushed over to where she was. "Draco," she said, squeezing his arm and offering him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. He's fine. It isn't anything major."

Draco nodded and moved away as Ron and Ginny bombarded Hermione with questions, peering through the small glass window into the ICU, his heartbeat echoing in his ears, his breathing shallow and his chest tight.

He clutched his chest, trying to compose himself and deepen his breaths, sensing that the was beginning to hyperventilate, and Hermione came over to lead him to the small plastic seats and offered him a bottle of water.

"Breathe," she said gently, rubbing his cold, clammy hands. "Draco, breathe. He's fine. Harry's fine."

He nodded his head, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat, his vision blurring as he tried to focus on Hermione's face. Ducking his head, he swiped his sleeve across his eyes, concentrating on calming down.

"Drink this," Hermione instructed, and Draco gulped down the water, feeling the familiar warmth of a calming draught spread through him. He closed his eyes and sighed, finally able to feel his heartbeat slow and his breathing grow deeper.

"Better?" she asked, and he nodded, offering her a grateful smile.

Just then, Ryan exited the ICU, his head bandaged up and a large patch on his cheek; his lips were bloody and swollen and his arm was in a sling. But otherwise, he looked fine.

"How is he?" Draco and Ginny asked simultaneously, jumping to their feet, and Ryan glanced between them, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"He, uh, he's fine. Just a mild concussion, the doctors said. He should wake up soon."

"Just a concussion?" Draco asked in disbelief, and Ryan shrugged a shoulder before wincing in pain.

"He also broke his left arm and leg, but we can repair the bones once we transfer him to St Mungo's," he said. "I'm sorry; he acted as a human shield to protect me from the blast. I'm just glad one of the Aurors who wasn't nearby reacted quickly enough to put up a cushioning charm in time. The damage may have been far worse otherwise."

"Why does he always have to play the hero," Ginny said, sniffling, and Draco pressed his palms together and brought them to his nose, closing his eyes for a moment as he swallowed thickly.

Harry was fine. He was going to be OK.

"Can we see him?" Ron asked, and everybody looked at Draco, as though asking his permission.

"Can we?" Draco asked, his voice trembling, and Ryan nodded.

"I came out to tell you that the doctors said you could come in, but I thought it was just Mrs Weasley—I don't know if everyone would be allowed—"

"We can wait," Hermione said, placing a hand on Draco's arm and smiling up at him. "You should go first."

Draco nodded, and just as they were about to enter the ICU, a doctor exited, looking from Ryan to Draco with a broad smile. "Oh, are you here to see Mr Potter? Good news; he's awake!" He waved at the others behind them. "You can also come inside, if you'd like; although he's being transferred soon, I hear."

"Thank you, Doctor," Draco said, making his way inside, his eyes scanning the white hospital beds full of injured Aurors until it landed on Harry. He made a beeline towards Harry, who was looking at him with a sheepish smile.

He hugged him gingerly, letting out a breathy laugh in relief as Harry patted him on the back, and kissed him. "I was so worried," Draco whispered, stroking Harry's hair out of his emerald eyes and caressing his cheek. "I thought my heart was going to explode."

Harry scrunched up his nose. "Let's not talk about explosions just yet."

Draco chuckled, pressing another kiss to Harry's mouth. "Sorry."

"I am too." Harry squeezed Draco's hand. "I'm so glad to see you. When I was in the ambulance… all I could think of was that you finally agreed to spend Christmas with us this year and I never even got to see it through." He swallowed. "I was more afraid of never seeing you again than dying."

"If you're this much of a romantic sap even with IV lines attached to you, then you'll be fine," Draco joked, and Harry laughed in response. He looked past Draco, reminding the latter then that there were four others also there to see Harry.

He cleared his throat and stepped aside, feeling awkward, but when he tried to move away from the bed, Harry grabbed his hand and wouldn't let go. Draco smiled to himself and squeezed Harry's hand as a tear-eyed Ginny came up.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she said, sniffing and patting Harry's thigh. "We were all so worried."

"You gave us a real fright, jeez," Hermione said, her voice wavering before she broke down in tears, and Ron hugged her, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words to her.

"She held up really well until just now," Ron explained to Harry. Then: "What's it feel like to crack your skull?"

"Ron!" both women admonished, and the men laughed, Harry wincing a little towards the end.

"It's been great," he said to Ron, then nodded to Ryan. "You still crying there, kiddo?"

"I'm not crying," Ryan groused, despite sounding a bit teary, then added, "Sir."

"I'm _fine,_ Ryan. Besides, you look worse than me." Harry looked at the others. "Don't you think?"

Everyone murmured their assent, and Ryan scratched his ear awkwardly. "I fell face-first, so…"

"Maybe you can get a face-lift while you're here," Ron joked, slapping him on the shoulder and promptly apologising when Ryan yelped in pain.

Alyssa suddenly burst in just then, wide-eyed and frazzled, and rushed over with a gasp. She hugged Harry first, crying about how worried she was, then went around to hug Ryan, smacking him on the arm for good measure as she said, "How could you let him get hurt, you turdhead!"

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking," Ryan griped, raising his sling, and Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"You look no different than usual," she said, to which everybody laughed, causing Ryan's ears to become red.

"At least I got injured while in the line of action while you sat and pored over old books all day!"

"At least _I_ actually managed to get work done without injuring our boss!"

"No fighting, kids," Harry said in the same tone of voice he used on James, Albus and Lily. While the duo bristled and glared at each other, Harry decided to change the subject and asked, "Henley, what's happening outside?"

Alyssa pulled out her notebook and flipped it open. "Brown has been moved to St Mungo's successfully," she said, resuming her professional, no-nonsense tone of voice. "Her room is under 24-hour surveillance, and the staff's goings and comings are being closely monitored as well."

"How are her injuries?" Harry asked, and Draco sighed. "What?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about _your_ injuries instead of the woman that nearly shot you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine," Harry said, waving his injured arm. "See?" He turned back to Alyssa, obviously trying to hide his pain. "Brown, on the other hand, doesn't seem too good."

She nodded, looking sombre. "Her injuries were the most severe because she was the one closest to the bomb, and it's not looking too good at the moment. She's being kept under observation and I'm getting hourly updates, so I'll let you know if there's any change, Sir."

Harry nodded. "What about the others who were injured?"

Alyssa flipped a page. "Auror Morrison and Auror Shepard sustained very minor injuries, and due to their quick spellcasting, Auror Bailey and Auror Thompson's injuries weren't as severe either. I think Auror Thompson is currently in surgery because a shard of glass from the van pierced his abdomen, but I was told that the prognostics are good."

"What about the guy who placed the bomb?"

Alyssa glanced at the people in the room, and Harry waved his hand. "They're fine; it's not all that confidential."

"Er, well, Detective Mullen is currently interrogating him, but it looks like he has no recollection of anything from that morning."

Hermione was biting her thumbnail, lost in thought, and then said, "Do you think it could be what we first suspected?"

Harry nodded. "Could be." He looked at Henley. "Check for traces of magic on him and move him to the Ministry's holding cells as well. And how's Mullen?"

"He seems to have dislocated a shoulder and gotten a few scratches, but otherwise he's fine. Your shields more-or-less contained the blast, Sir."

"That's goo—wait, what?"

Alyssa pursed her lips. "The bomb may have been magical, Sir. We have forensics running tests right now."

Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Fine. Keep me updated on what's happening." He waved his hand in dismissal. "I have a headache; everybody, get out."

After a few more pats and hugs and 'get well soon's, everybody left. Draco sat down on the bed and leant in to kiss Harry. As he was pulling away, Harry grabbed him by the back of his neck and deepened the kiss, and they only broke apart a few moments later when Harry groaned in pain.

"Sorry," Draco said, adjusting the IV line, but Harry only chuckled.

"I love you so much," he said, holding Draco's hand. "I'm sorry I ruined Christmas."

"I love you too," Draco said, squeezing Harry's hand, "and you would've only ruined Christmas if you'd died. Which, thankfully, you didn't."

"I'm glad you're already joking about it," Harry said with a laugh.

"Only to hide how worried I actually was." Draco sighed, shaking his head. "Don't ever scare me like that again. Eight years with you is hardly enough to make up for all those years of being apart."

Harry sat up to nuzzle Draco's nose before kissing him. "A lifetime with you isn't enough. If I'm reborn again, I want to find you and fall in love with you and spend every minute of my life with you all over again."

"Wow, you're _really_ laying it on thick today, aren't you?" Draco said, and Harry shrugged.

"A near-death experience can change a man."

Draco laughed. "Don't tell me a mild concussion's turned you into a foolishly romantic sap."

"Like you don't love every minute of it," Harry said, pinching Draco's nose.

"Every minute, for a lifetime and more," Draco replied, and Harry's eyes twinkled.

"Could you imagine me dying and never getting to banter with you?" he said, shaking his head. "I'd probably come back as a ghost even if I _did_ die because I would want to see you again."

"I don't know how I feel about a ghost stalker," Draco mused, and Harry scoffed.

"You are such a prat."

Draco pressed his forehead to Harry's and smiled. "And you're alive, which is all that matters."

Harry puckered his lips, and Draco kissed him with a laugh. Harry then kissed the back of Draco's hand and said, "The only thing that would make this more perfect is if—"

"Dad!" a familiar voice called, and they both turned to see the kids run over to him and give him big hugs, Lily sobbing in Harry's chest as she apologised for yelling at him and saying she loved him. Harry laughed and hugged them, happily chatting away with them, and Draco sat back and watched, deciding that, despite all the unnecessary drama that had ensued, that it had ended as a happy Christmas after all.


End file.
